Behind The Design: Q&A with Linda Mazur

The following Q&A takes us behind this living room design and into the thought process of the talented Linda Mazur.

What were your clients’ needs for this space?

Linda Mazur: My clients decided to use this space as a family room. They wanted to the space to be relaxing, minimal and yet comfortable for casual entertaining. As they are art collectors, we also had many large, very dominant canvasses that needed to be incorporate.

Were there any challenges to designing this space?

Linda Mazur: In this particular room we did not encounter any real challenges; it was an easy, open space to work within. One design element that did require some attention however was lighting. As we have a very large, bright picture window the volume of natural light was a bit of a concern for TV watching…an easy solution was a simple blind that only gets used when necessary. We added pot lights within the bulkhead in order to highlight these large canvasses, and task lighting was added to a very dark corner of the room to be able to sit and read.

Do you have any special considerations or requirements when creating a living space?

Linda Mazur: When I’m designing living spaces for my clients I like to ensure that they are not only comfortable and timeless, but definitely functional. Whether the functionality comes from creative hidden storage, or in this case simplicity, it needs to reflect the day-to-day living and personality of my clients.

How does the flooring play into your design?

Linda Mazur: As this house was originally built during the mid-century modern era, my client decided that they wanted to maintain that influence throughout the renovation. For the flooring we maintained a simple white oak strip hardwood that we stained a medium brown color. We decided on a simple floor in a basic warm brown stain as it would not influence or overwhelm the artwork in any way. As you can see, the artwork was our leading consideration throughout the renovation – all elements and finishes were selected to compliment the canvasses in every way possible.

Linda Mazur: This family room is made functional by its simple uncluttered design. The room is intended to be used for relaxing and watching TV so we used a large, deep sectional sofa that is both welcoming and provides ample comfortable seating. The simple unobtrusive fireplace provides a great aesthetic feature to the space but is definitely not a focal point in this room…the focal point in the room is undoubtedly the very large abstract canvasses that flank either side of the fireplace/TV combination….it’s a simple room design that just works!

Why did you choose these colors?

Linda Mazur: My clients have an extensive art collection. The pieces we chose for this room were very large, bold abstracts with strong colors and a metallic finish. With the dominance of these canvasses it was best to design the room with a calm, monochromatic color scheme. The varying shades of off-whites and soft greys, punctuated with different shades of gold in the accessories provide a simple, balanced compliment to the art.

What is your favorite aspect of this room?

Linda Mazur: I love the calmness and simplicity of the room. The house is a mid-century modern design which I happen to personally love. We were able to incorporate a lot of my client’s more traditional pieces in to the design and blend them with touches of a mid-century influence to create a very comfortable aesthetic that showcases their art beautifully.

What did your client like the most?

Linda Mazur: My clients love the fact the space is practical and livable, yet stylish. The house is mid-century which provides a great multi-level footprint and very large walls…perfect for some of the larger pieces of artwork that my client owns. They were thrilled that we were able to design a wonderfully comfortable space for them that both incorporated many of their existing furniture pieces and that features their art collection beautifully. The design was intended to be inspired by the artwork within that particular space but not to be overwhelmed by the scale of some of these pieces.

Designer Linda Mazur is the Principal Designer of Linda Mazur Design Group. With over a decade of experience this sought out multi-disciplinary interior design firm is known for providing innovative interior renovations and full scale build projects that reflect both timeless style and optimal functionality. The firm services clients throughout Canada based in Toronto. www.lindamazurdesign.com @LindaMazur Group